1.2 Identifying Health Risks
Factors that can influence your health
Heredity, environment, media, technology, healthcare, behavior
Habit
a behavior that is repeated so often that it becomes almost automatic
Gender
a person's determination of male or female at birth
Examples of technology influencing health
advanced medical screening to detect diseases faster and more accurately, internet sites providing credible information about health topics, exposure to misleading or false information, time trap that reduces time spent exercising or interacting directly with others
Technology
advances or innovations that help improve quality of life and/or make processes easier or more efficient
Examples of physical environment influencing health
air & water quality, exposure to disease-causing organisms, loud noise, radiation from sun and other sources
Environment
all of the physical and social conditions that surround a person and can influence that person's health
Heredity
all the traits that are passed biologically from parent to child
Examples of media influencing health
amount of time spent watching TV or at web-based applications, exposure to advertising, opportunities to learn useful information to improve a condition/situtation
Risk Factor
any action or condition that increases the likelihood of injury, disease, or other negative outcome
3 ways to evaluate a risk factor
consider short & long-term consequences, decide how much control you have of a factor, & analyze risks & benefits
Examples of healthcare influencing health
easy or difficulty in scheduling visits for preventative healthcare, costs of preventative checkups
Examples of risk factors you can't control
factors part of your heredity, some factors within your environment (i.e. weather)
Media
forms of communication that provide news and entertainment
Examples of behavior influencing health
going along with or declining invitations to participate in activities with friends, eating choices, actions affecting sleep, focus on learning
Examples of social environment influencing health
learning first health lessons from family, positive and negative peer pressure
Examples of risk factors you can control
level of physical activity; intake of fat, sugar, and salt, use of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; use of protective gear like seat belts & helmets; choice of friends
Example of gender influencing health
risk for many conditions vary between males and females
Examples of heredity influencing health
skin color & cancer risk, breast & colon cancers, addiction
Culture
the beliefs and patterns of behavior that are shared by a group of people and passed from generation to generation (i.e. nation, region of a country, ethnic or religious group)
Behavior
the decisions you make and the actions you take throughout your day and life
Healthcare
the medical services provided by doctors, nurses, dentists, and therapists, and such facilities they work in (hospitals and clinics)
Social Environment
the people you spend time and surround yourself with (family, friends, classmates, others in your community)
Examples of culture influencing health
traditional foods common to one's heritage, shared ways of displaying emotions
Physical Environment
your outdoor and indoor surroundings
